Driver turnover is costing the trucking industry millions of dollars a year, says trucking industry consultant Mark Dixon—and the problem may get worse before it gets better.
Keeping drivers is something that most in the trucking industry—recruiters, truck driving school administrators, safety personnel, human resources personnel, trucking company overs and dispatchers—have to put front and center, Dixon says in a conference for AudioSolutionz, “Driver Recruiting and Retention in 2018.” And this is not just a problem for trucking companies—it’s one for consumers, too, since more than 70 percent of consumer goods move by truck, reports CBS News.
Turnover Rates for Truckers Are High
Trucking companies face basic foundational problems as they try to fill the driver gap: Turnover rates are high, pay is seen as low and costs are on the rise.
The crunch comes as shipping is shifting into overdrive. More commerce is traveling by truck and storm-relief efforts in spots like Texas and Florida are eating up available drivers.
“Tighter capacity is normally good for carriers, which see profits soar along with the rates they charge shippers,” reported the Wall Street Journal. “But some fleets have indicated they are struggling to find enough drivers.”
Truckers Are Aging and Fewer Are Entering the Workforce
Income, image and the economy are conspiring to keep drivers away from trucks, notes Fleet Owner magazine. Pay raises are not keeping up with what’s seen in other industries—even fast food—and millennials are balking at the prospect of a job that has them sleeping in parking lots and always keeping a sharp eye out for deer.
Best practices for companies looking to retain drivers, Fleet Owner said, include:
- Make drivers feel appreciated
- Use technology to attract younger drivers
- Face the fact that turnover is high
- Pay drivers well
- Recognize performance
- Train younger drivers and show them how to get ahead
Transportation services consultant LTX agreed, and added that shifting focus could help. To hire and retain workers, the company said, it would help to lower regulated driving ages, target minorities, women and veterans, and decrease time on the road. Oh, and another thing—focus on autonomous trucking.
“Currently, we have a driver shortage of 48,000 and when aligning these numbers with freight forecasts, we could have a shortage of 330,000 drivers by 2024,” the LTX report said. “If carriers start thinking more strategically about untapped workforce pools and continue to offer comprehensive benefit packages with competitive pay, we can fix this problem.”
